Emergency Medical Services

In 1973, the Lewisville Fire Department first began its EMS program with one ambulance staffed with Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT’s). In 1975, the need for an additional ambulance was recognized, this allowed for coverage on either side of Interstate 35. In May 1983, three firefighters graduated from Southwest Medical School’s Paramedic Program in Dallas, to become the first paramedics in the department and in May 1983, the first ALS ambulance was placed in service. The Lewisville Fire Department has eight Type 1 Wheeled Coach and Horton Ambulances on a F450 Super Duty Chassis housed out of five fire houses. We respond to over 7800 EMS calls each year with five front line ambulances.

Each ambulance carries the Texas Department of Health certification as Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU).In 2001, the EMS division implemented the Zoll Data System RescueNet ePCR field data collection software. This software enables us to easily and comprehensively document incidents using pen-based portable computers in the field. This software:

Improves cash flow by capturing billing information at the point of care

Allows a legible patient report to be left at the receiving hospital at the time of patient delivery

In September 2002, the EMS division accepted the ambulance billing responsibilities for the City of Lewisville. With the implementation of the Zoll Data Systems RescueNet Billing software package in 2003, claims are processed quicker and with fewer errors. The software automates billing and insurance submission by monitoring claims for errors, which speeds up the receivables turnaround time. RescueNet Billing operates seamlessly with the RescueNet ePCR field software package. The information collected by the paramedics in the field is available to the billing clerks, eliminating time consuming data entry. This has allowed the Lewisville Fire Department to increase revenue for the billing department when compared to previous years. With these software packages, the City of Lewisville is able to recoup a portion of the cost of providing a state of the art ambulance division. The demands upon the EMS division continue to increase in many areas.

Continuing Education (CE) is one of these areas. The State of Texas requires that each medic have 36 hours per year of CE. Each medic is also required to hold other certifications such as CPR, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Education for Pre-hospital Providers (PEPP), and International Trauma Life Support (ITLS).

The Lewisville Fire Department contracts with QuestCare Partners as Medical Control and Lead II Excellence for the Continuing Education component. The Lewisville Fire Department partners with the Medical Center of Lewisville for other educational opportunities such as STEMI, Stroke, etc.. Emergency medical service skills are maintained by regularly scheduled training curriculums coordinated through our medical control Physician and the Medical Center of Lewisville.

Over the years, the City of Lewisville Fire and EMS Divisions have acquired one of the best reputations in the surrounding area.